This invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically changing printer modes. In particular, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatically changing printer modes in printers with at least two modes, a media mode and an envelope mode.
Today""s required office equipment includes at least one printer. And, despite the fact that many messages and data are transferred electronically, demands on office printers continue to increase. As a result, today""s office printer is a sophisticated multi-functional device. Nonetheless, old habits and structures die hard.
Today""s printers include a printer with a fusing assembly. The fusing assembly is the part which is responsible for correctly positioning media to be printed and fusing the print on the media correctly. Currently, if a user wishes to print both standard media and envelopes on a printer, such as a mail merge job, they must switch fuser levers, connected to the fuser, by hand. They print the media, then switch these fuser levers back to envelope mode to print the envelopes. The user then must manually switch the fuser levers back to media mode to print standard media and so on, back and forth.
If the fuser is not manually switched to envelope mode when envelopes are printed, the print is not properly fused and envelopes often wrinkle, which is offensive to most users. Since many customers will not (or cannot) switch in and out of envelope mode when printing mail-merge jobs, they must make the decision either to live with poor fusing on standard media (leaving the manual levers in the envelope position) or live with wrinkled envelopes (leaving the manual levers in the standard media mode).
A simple software xe2x80x9csolutionxe2x80x9d is not possible. All the software can do is to advise the user to not load envelopes until prompted. At this point, the user could switch the manual fuser levers just as easily and then load the envelope. Additionally, the software solution still will not stop the printer after the envelope is printed if another job is sent.
In short, modern printers are analogous to a modern car that uses handheld lanterns for lighting, an incongruous combination of new and old. As a result, there is a need for providing an apparatus and method for automatically changing printer modes for modern printers.
Accordingly, the apparatus for automatically changing printer modes of the present invention includes a printer with at least two modes. A fusing assembly is connected to the printer and an automatic fusing assembly manipulator is connected to the printer and to the fusing assembly. In one aspect of the invention, the at least two modes includes a media mode and an envelope mode. In another aspect of the invention, the automatic fusing assembly manipulator is a solenoid device. In a further aspect of the invention, the printer is a LaserJet printer. In still another aspect of the invention, the printer connection is a DC controller. In another aspect of the invention, the fusing assembly connection is a cam device.
In a further aspect of the invention, the automatic fusing assembly manipulator further includes a default position to one of the at least two modes. In another aspect of the invention, the default position is to the media mode. In a further aspect of the invention, the automatic fusing assembly manipulator further includes a paper jam position. And, in another aspect of the invention, the paper jam position is to the envelope mode.
In a further embodiment of the invention, in a printer with at least a media mode and an envelope mode, an apparatus for automatically changing modes includes the fusing assembly connected to the printer and a solenoid device for automatically changing the modes connected to a DC controller on the printer and to a cam device on the fusing assembly. In another aspect of the invention, the solenoid device includes a default position to one of the two modes, media and/or envelope. In another aspect of the invention, the default mode is to the media mode. In yet another aspect of the invention, the solenoid device further includes a paper jam position and, in another aspect of the invention, the paper jam position is to the envelope mode.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, in a printer with at least a media mode and an envelope mode, a method for automatically changing printer modes comprises the first step of connecting a fusing assembly to the printer. A DC controller is provided on the printer and a solenoid device, for automatically changing modes, is connected to the DC controller. A cam device is attached to the fusing assembly and the solenoid device is also connected to the cam device. A print job is directed to the printer including media and envelope(s). The DC controller detects which mode is to be printed and sends an appropriate signal to the solenoid device. Finally, upon receipt of the DC controller signal, the solenoid device activates the cam device as directed.
In a further aspect of the method of the invention, a default position is provided for the solenoid device to default to one of the media mode and/or the envelope mode. In another aspect of the method, the default mode is to the media mode. In a further aspect of the method, the step of providing a paper jam position for the solenoid device is added. Finally, in another aspect of the method, the paper jam position is to the envelope mode.